1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for attaching at least one slat of a slatted base to a frame of the slatted base, the device comprising a first member arranged to be attached to the inner side of the frame of the slatted base and comprising first connecting means; a second member comprising a top portion arranged to engage an extremity of at least one slat of the slatted base, a base portion connected to the top portion by means of at least one resilient member, and second connecting means arranged to cooperate with the first connecting means so as to allow connecting the first member to the second member in a plurality of relative positions with respect to each other in view of adjusting the position of the at least one slat with respect to the frame of the slatted base, according to the preamble of the first claim.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a device is known in the art and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,981. This known device comprises a first member which is arranged to be attached to the inner side of the frame of a slatted base and which comprises first connecting means. The known device also comprises a second member having a top portion arranged for engaging an extremity of at least one slat of the slatted base, a base portion which is connected to the top portion by means of at least one resilient member and second connecting means which are provided to co-operate with the first connecting means, so as to allow connecting the first member to the second member to each other, in various relative positions with respect to each other. In that way the position of the at least one slat with respect to the frame of the slatted base is adjustable.
From DE-A-10049946 a device is known, comprising a first member which is provided to be attached to the frame of a slatted base at two possible positions in height direction of the frame, and a second member which is connectable to the first member and which is provided for receiving two side by side disposed slats of the slatted base. The second member comprises a top portion having means for receiving two side by side disposed slats. Below this top portion two resilient members are disposed, which in turn are positioned on top of the second connecting means of the second member. The position of the slats when engaged in the top portion of the second member is adjustable in height direction of the frame of the slatted base between two extreme positions, which are determined by the two possible positions of the first member with respect to the frame. Because the resilient members of the second member are located above the second connecting means, the slats received in the top portion of this second member will always remain at a position above the second connecting means, even when compressed by the weight of a person lying on the slatted base. As a consequence, the height of the second member, as well as the height of the slatted base as a whole will be relatively large. This implies that in many bed structures, the bottom of a mattress lying on the slatted base of DE 10049946 A1 will extend above the sides of the slatted base because of its huge height and therefore the mattress will not be properly held in place by said sides.
The same problem arises with the device disclosed in EP 1013200 B1, which comprises a first member to be mounted to the frame of a slatted base and a second member provided to receive slats of the slatted base, the first and second member being connectible to each other. The second member comprises a flexible bent arm whose upper and lower ends are connected to each other by means of a central piece. The upper end of the bent arm is connected to a top portion arranged for receiving the extremities of two slats of a slatted base. The lower end of the bent arm is connected to the base portion of the second member, onto which the second connecting means are provided for connecting the second member to first connecting means of the first member. The second connecting means consist in pins to be received in the first connecting means. The first connecting means consist of a plurality of passages disposed above each other in the height direction of the frame of the slatted base. While the bent arm and central piece of the resilient member extend at the position of the connecting pins of the first member below the slats, the top end of the bent arm projects above the pins in such a way that the slats whose extremities are engaged in the top portion of the second member, are always positioned above the second connecting means, even when the resilient members are compressed by the weight of a person lying on the slatted base. This thus leads to the same problem as with the device according to DE 10049946 A1.
CH 678447 describes a further device of the kind of those described above.